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4 Epiphany

Psalm 72

Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King

Of Solomon.

1 Give the king your justice, O God,and your righteousness to a king’s son.2 May he judge your people with righteousness,and your poor with justice.3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,and the hills, in righteousness.4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,give deliverance to the needy,and crush the oppressor.

5 May he live[a] while the sun endures,and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,like showers that water the earth.7 In his days may righteousness flourishand peace abound, until the moon is no more.

8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,and from the River to the ends of the earth.9 May his foes[b] bow down before him,and his enemies lick the dust.10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the islesrender him tribute,may the kings of Sheba and Sebabring gifts.11 May all kings fall down before him,all nations give him service.

12 For he delivers the needy when they call,the poor and those who have no helper.13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,and saves the lives of the needy.14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life;and precious is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live!May gold of Sheba be given to him.May prayer be made for him continually,and blessings invoked for him all day long.16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;may it wave on the tops of the mountains;may its fruit be like Lebanon;and may people blossom in the citieslike the grass of the field.17 May his name endure forever,his fame continue as long as the sun.May all nations be blessed in him;[c]may they pronounce him happy.

18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,who alone does wondrous things.19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;may his glory fill the whole earth.Amen and Amen.

20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

Footnotes:

73 Your hands have made and fashioned me;give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,because I have hoped in your word.75 I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right,and that in faithfulness you have humbled me.76 Let your steadfast love become my comfortaccording to your promise to your servant.77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;for your law is my delight.78 Let the arrogant be put to shame,because they have subverted me with guile;as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.79 Let those who fear you turn to me,so that they may know your decrees.80 May my heart be blameless in your statutes,so that I may not be put to shame.

81 My soul languishes for your salvation;I hope in your word.82 My eyes fail with watching for your promise;I ask, “When will you comfort me?”83 For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,yet I have not forgotten your statutes.84 How long must your servant endure?When will you judge those who persecute me?85 The arrogant have dug pitfalls for me;they flout your law.86 All your commandments are enduring;I am persecuted without cause; help me!87 They have almost made an end of me on earth;but I have not forsaken your precepts.88 In your steadfast love spare my life,so that I may keep the decrees of your mouth.

89 The Lord exists forever;your word is firmly fixed in heaven.90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations;you have established the earth, and it stands fast.91 By your appointment they stand today,for all things are your servants.92 If your law had not been my delight,I would have perished in my misery.93 I will never forget your precepts,for by them you have given me life.94 I am yours; save me,for I have sought your precepts.95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,but I consider your decrees.96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

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Genesis 22:1-18

The Command to Sacrifice Isaac

22 After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

9 When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill[a] his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”;[b] as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”[c]

15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, 18 and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Footnotes:

The Faith of Moses

23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.[a]24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered abuse suffered for the Christ[b] to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger; for he persevered as though[c] he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.[d]

The Faith of Other Israelite Heroes

29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient,[e] because she had received the spies in peace.

Footnotes:

Hebrews 11:23Other ancient authorities add By faith Moses, when he was grown up, killed the Egyptian, because he observed the humiliation of his people (Gk brothers)

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.